Collapsible disposable container



Aug. 3, 1954 w. H. CROSBY 2,685,399

COLLAPSIBLE DISPOSABLE CONTAINER Filed Feb. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

I /0 INVENTOR.

WILLAM H. CROSBY.

BY A Ma ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UNITED STAT TENT OFFICE Application February 12, 1951, Serial No. 210,611

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a collapsible dispos able container of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,574,246 of November 6, 1951.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a container for the urine of bedridden patients which may be readily disposed of when it has served its purpose and to eliminate the necessity of cleaning and sterilizing bottles of the type commonly employed for the purpose mentioned.

Another object is to enable a bedridden patient to care for his needs without requiring the services cf an attendant and to provide maximum capacity in the bottle and at the same time avoid the spilling of the contents thereof.

A still further object is to enable such bottles to be stored in a relatively small space and within convenient reach of a bedridden patient or traveler who may find it convenient to have a supply of such bottles ready for instant use.

A still further and more specific object of the invention is to effect economies in the production of bottles of the character to which this invention relates, and reduce the amount of material required for producing such a container to a minimum.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a collapsible structure which may be readily stored or transported according to the requirements of the user and which may be formed by a machine from a relatively inexpensive material so that its disposal is practical as well as economical.

Other features include a bottle which can be packaged flat for transportation and storage and at the same time may be easily and quickly formed into container shape for use.

Still other features include a novel arrangement of panels, extensions, and flaps which when extended form a hollow container with no raw edges to contact or injure the anatomy of the user.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan View of a blank from which this improved container is constructed;

Figure 2 is a front view of the blank folded and cemented and ready for storage and use;

Figure 3 is a plan View of the container after it has been opened and folded ready for use;

Figure 4 is a side view of the container illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an end view of the device partially opened and folded; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the container completely opened and folded.

Referring to the drawings in detail. the container is constructed from a blank designated generally it which comprises a bottom wall panel 42 of elongated form and having convergent side edges to which are joined along fold lines 513 and I5 side panels l8 and 2d respectively.

side edges of the side panels l8 and 2% remote from the fold lines it and i3 lie parallel along fold lines 22 and 2 4. Joining the side edges of the side panels 58 and 29 respectively along the fold lines and 24 are top wall members 25 and 28 which are folded along the fold lines 22 and as illustrated in Figure 2 to form a top wall designated generally SD. The top Wall member is provided along its edge remote from that joining the side panel as with a longitudinally extending sealing flap 32 which as illustrated in Figure 2 lies beneath the adjacent edge of the top wall member 25 when the side members are in top wall forming position. The top wall 3i] and bottom Wall panel I2 are joined together adjacent to the edges thereof remote from the convergent ends of the sides of the bottom wall panel, and in joining the parts together any suitable waterproof cement is employed.

Joining the bottom wall panel it along a transverse fold line 36 is a front panel 38 which is of substantially triangular form with its apex remote from the adjacent end of the bottom wall panel l2. Lateral flap extensions it and 52 are carried by opposite side edges of the front panel 3t and join said panel along fold lines M:- and Q 3 respectively. The lateral ilap extensions and til are of triangular form with their apices terminating at opposite ends of the fold line 35 along which the front panel 38 joins the bottom wall panel 12. Formed integrally with the side panels 58 and 29 adjacent to the ends thereof which are adjacent to the fold line 35 are flap extensions 38 and 55 respectively. These flap extensions 48 and 5e are of triangular form and substantially identical in size with the lateral extensions and 52 and these flap extensions "13 and 5t join their respective panels l3 and El! along fold lines 52 and 5% respectively. They are also integral with the lateral extensions ti and i2 and fold lines 58 and 58 extend along the junctions of the panels til and 18 and t2 and 59 so as to form, when folded, flaps designated generally as and 62 which cooperate in forming a watertight junction between the side walls :8 and 2t and the end panel 38.

Joining the front ends of the top wall members it and 28 respectively along fold lines t l and lit respectively are locking cars 63 and it respectively which are of substantially triangular form, and when the parts are folded to form the container, these locking ears fold outwardly over the flaps and E2 and define along their respective fold lines 3 and 86 an opening or bottle mouth 52 through which access to the interior of the container is had.

With the blank formed as illustrated in Figure l, the top wall members 26 and 28 are folded along their respective fold lines 22 and 24 with the flap 3?. underlying the edge of the wall mem ber 2% remote from its respective fold line 22 and cemented to the Wall member 26, as previously described, to form the bottle top wall 3? which overlies the bottom Wall panel I 2.

With the top Wall members 26 and 23 thus folded and joined together, the top wall is cemented as at 3%, to the bottom wall i2 panel adjacent the edges thereof remote from the front panel 38. With the parts thus folded and joined, a flat receptacle or container is produced which may be readily stored or transported according to the desires of the user. When it is desired to make use of an article thus formed, the user squeezes the folded article against the fold lino edges 22 and 25, at the open front end of the device to give it the form of a bottle, at the same time pressing upward and inward on the front panel 38 to bend the latter on the fold line 38. The adjacent pair of flap extensions 4t and 48 are folded together along the fold line 56 to form the flap (iii and the flap extensions 22 and 59 are folded together along the fold line 58 to form the flap E2 and the two flaps as and 82 may then be turned out as shown in Figure 5. With the flaps thus formed they are turned back, or inward, on the adjacent fold line-s M 52 and 46-54 to position them against the side panels I8 and 29 respectively, and to overlie a portion of the adjacent downwardly curving front end portion of the top wall 38. The outer edges of the triangular flaps, when thus positioned against the side panels and across the front ends or the down curved portions of the top wall, will lie along the fold lines $4 and 55 for the locking ears 68 and ill. These ears are then folded down along the lines 5 3 and 86 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, to overlie the flaps E9 and 62 as illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 6 and form the opening 12 for access to the interior of the bottle.

By thus folding the flaps 68 and it, it will be evident that no raw edges of materials need contact the anatomy of the user and hence injury from use of the bottle is prevented.

The bottle or container is preferably formed of a relatively heavy Wax paper or board, or like material of an inexpensive nature so that it once having been used may be readily disposed of as by burning.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred form of this invention, it is to be undertsood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A collapsible disposable container comprising an elongated bottom wall panel having convergent side edges, a triangular front panel carried by the bottom wall panel at the smaller end thereof and having its apex extending upwardly and forwardly from the bottom Wall panel, side panels carried by the bottom wall panel and extending along opposite side edges thereof, a top wall joined to the side panels along the edges thereof remote from the bottom wall panel, said top wall joining the bottom wall panel at the end of the latter remote from the front panel forming a closed rear end of the container, lateral extensions carried by and of the same length as the front panel and extending along opposite side edges of the latter, longitudinal extensions joined to the side panels and joining the lateral extensions along the edges thereof remote from the front panel and forming with the lateral extensions triangular flaps positioned against and across the outer sides of the side panels, and locking ears joined to and carried by the top Wall at the front end thereof adjacent to the extensions on the side panels and overlying the flaps formed by the extensions and securing the flaps against the side panels, the portions of the top wall at the locking ears forming the mouth of an opening for the container.

2. A collapsible disposable container comprising an elongated bottom wall panel having con vergent side edges, a triangular front panel carried by the bottom wall panel at the smaller end thereof and having its apex disposed remote from the bottom Wall panel, side panels carried by the bottom wall panel and extending along opposite side edges of said bottom wall panel, lateral extensions carried by the front panel and lying along opposite side edges thereof, longitudinal extensions carried by the side panels and joining the lateral extensions, the extensions on opposite sides of the end panel being disposed against one another to form flaps on oppostle sides of the front panel, a top Wall carried by the side panels, and looking ears carried by the top wall adjacent the front panel and disposed downwardly over the flaps formed by the extensions and holding the flaps against the side panels to form a container.

3. The structure of claim 2, in which the junctions of the top wall and the locking ears form the mouth of the container,

4. The structure of claim 1, in which the lateral extensions and the longitudinal extensions are triangular and have their disposed adjacent to the junction of the bottom wall and front panel.

5. The structure of claim 2. in which the lat-- eral extensions and the longitudinal extensions are triangular and have their apices disposed adjacent to the junction of the bottom wall and front panel.

5. The structure of claim 1, in which the top wall comprises side members each joined to a side panel along the edges of the lat er remote from the bottom wall panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,291,974 McDTeil Jan. 21, 1919 2,371,841 Paulson Mar. 20, 1945 2,395,246? Buffenoarger Feb, 19, 1946 

